Not applicable.
Not Applicable
Not Applicable
The present invention is directed toward a competitive and/or educational game apparatus that involves the activities of verbally describing images, accurately recreating images based on verbal descriptions, and evaluating images based on preexisting criteria.
In the past, hundreds of games have been created that use dice, cards, and scoring sheets or other writing surfaces. In particular, prior art includes games that test the artistic skills of participants. Previous games such as those marketed under the trademarks xe2x80x9cPictionaryxe2x80x9d and xe2x80x9cCraniumxe2x80x9d provide the name of an object (or place or action, etc.) on a game card and require a participant to draw the object (or place or action, etc.) on a writing surface while other participants attempt to deduce the combination of terms or expressions literally represented by the illustration. Examples of such games are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,607,160 to Stevens et al. (1997) and U.S. Pat. No. 6,279,909 to Alexander et al. (2001). However, these games do not require that participants describe an image or evaluate images based on preexisting criteria.
The prior art also includes games that test the interpretive skills of participants by requiring them to provide a short verbal answer given an illustration on a card. Examples of such games are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,890,844 to Weiss (1990) and U.S. Pat. No. 5,439,232 to Pollock (1995). Games such as the one marketed under the trademark xe2x80x9cStare!xe2x80x9d, include game cards displaying an image and require that participants answer questions about the image solely from memory. However, these games do not require that participants draw images or evaluate images based on preexisting criteria.
Previous games such as those marketed under the trademarks xe2x80x9cGuess-a-Doodlexe2x80x9d and xe2x80x9cSkribblexe2x80x9d require participants to verbally describe an image while other participants recreate the image and then attempt to guess what it is they have drawn. These games are limited in that the participant who is describing the image may use only a limited domain of xe2x80x9cabstractxe2x80x9d words (e.g. xe2x80x9ccirclexe2x80x9d, xe2x80x9csquarexe2x80x9d, xe2x80x9clinexe2x80x9d, etc.) in the description they provide (so as to avoid unfairly giving the answer away). The images are extremely unsophisticated objects that are easy for young children to describe and draw. Such games have limited appeal to older participants who find them unchallenging and restrictive. Furthermore, these games do not require that participants evaluate images based on preexisting criteria.
No games have been proposed that call for participants to verbally describe a complex image using an unrestricted vocabulary in a limited time. Furthermore, no games have been proposed which require that the recreated images be evaluated against a series of preexisting criteria in order to win points.
Therefore there is a need for a game that stimulates participants to verbally describe images in a clear and concise manner so that others may recreate the image. By the same token, there is a need for a game that challenges participants to recreate an image based on an unrestricted verbal description. Finally, there is a need for a game that affords participants an opportunity to evaluate recreated images based upon preexisting criteria. Such a game would provide both entertainment as well as educational opportunities for participants to learn to clearly and concisely describe images, recreate images from a verbal description, and evaluate images based on descriptive criteria. Such a game should be presented in a manner that is both entertaining in an interactive atmosphere and intellectually stimulating to a wide variety of participants. The present invention is directed to fulfilling this need.
Thus a broad object of the present invention is to provide an intellectually stimulating game for participation by three or more participants.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a game of the character described in which participants are presented an opportunity to improve skills associated with concisely describing an image using an unrestricted vocabulary in a limited time such that other participants may accurately recreate said image.
Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a game of the character described in which participants are presented an opportunity to improve skills associated with artistically recreating an image based on a verbal description of said image in a limited time.
An additional object of the present invention is to provide a game of the character described in which participants are presented an opportunity to improve skills associated with evaluating an image based on a series of preexisting criteria that assert conditions pertaining to the image being evaluated.
Still another object of the present invention is to provide a game for both children and adults that is entertaining and amusing in an interactive setting.
A still further object of the present invention is to provide a game that is competitive in nature and includes elements of skill as well as elements of randomness.
These and other objects and advantages of the present invention, along with features of novelty appurtenant thereto, will appear or become apparent in the course of the ensuing description of a preferred embodiment, which is to be read in connection with the following drawings and the appended claims.
In accordance with the present invention, a game apparatus is provided for stimulating a plurality of participants to improve skills necessary to provide effective descriptions of images, accurately recreate images based on descriptions, and critically evaluate images based on sets of criteria.
The game apparatus includes a plurality of game cards and writing surfaces. Each game card includes on its front face a unique image, an image title, and a plurality of unique written criteria, each criterion being a true statement of a descriptive nature pertaining to the image on the same card. Each writing surface bears designated regions for recreating an image using a writing utensil based on a verbal description. Each writing surface further bears designated regions for recording the number of points received by a participant who recreated an image and a participant who verbally described an image.
A quantity of writing surfaces and a writing utensil is distributed to each participant.
Each participant is in turn designated as a describer with all other participants designated as artists. The describer selects an individual game card from the plurality of game cards. One criterion is selected by said describer, by some means which yields a random choice outside the describer""s control, to be worth additional bonus points. Said describer reads aloud the title on the game card. Said describer then verbally describes the image on said game card in accordance with the time remaining as measured by the timing device. Using their writing utensil, the artists recreate the image on their writing surface based on the verbal description provided. When time has fully elapsed, the describer must immediately end the verbal description, and all artists must immediately stop recreating the image.
After time has elapsed, all artists exchange drawings among themselves such that no artist has the recreated image he or she made. The describer reads aloud each criterion one at a time in the order that they appear on the game card, giving pause between each such that the artists may judge whether or not the criterion has been satisfied by the recreated image they are evaluating.
After all criteria have been read, points are awarded to each of the artists according to the number of criteria satisfied by their recreated image. Additional points are awarded for satisfying the bonus criterion. The describer is awarded points according to the number of criteria that had been satisfied by any of the artists"" recreated images.
Play continues until all participants have had the same number of opportunities to assume the role of describer. Each participant adds the points that they received during all rounds of play, regardless whether the player acted as describer or artist during a round. The participant with the most total points is declared the winner.